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Succubus
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a succubus is a female demon, or, under 4th edition rules, a devil. The male equivalent is an incubus. Publication history The succubus is based on the succubi from Western medieval legend. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974–1976) The succubus appeared under the demon entry in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement (1976). ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition (1977–1988) The succubus appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977).Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977) ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1977–1999) This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the succubus, which is known as the whispering demon, first appearing in the Immortal Rules set, in the DM's Guide to Immortals (1986).Mentzer, Frank. Dungeons & Dragons Set 5: Immortal Rules (TSR, 1986) The whispering lesser fiend appeared in the Wrath of the Immortals set, in "Book One: Codex of the Immortals" (1992).Allston, Aaron. Wrath of the Immortals (TSR, 1992) ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition (1989–1999) In this edition, demons became known as tanar'ri, with the succubus lesser tanar'ri appearing first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix (1991),LaFountain, J. Paul. Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix. (TSR, 1991) and then reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993) The succubus lesser tanar'ri also appeared for the Planescape campaign setting in the first Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).Varney, Allen, ed. Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (TSR, 1994) ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.0 edition (2000–2002) The succubus (tanar'ri) appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000);Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000) in this edition, the name demon is resumed, and tanar'ri are now considered a sub-type of demon. Savage Species (2003) presented the succubus/incubus as both a race and a playable class.Eckelberry, David, Rich Redman, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. Savage Species (Wizards of the Coast, 2003) ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.5 edition (2003–2007) The succubus appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003). ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition (2008–2014) The succubus appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), although in this edition, succubi are classified as devils and appear under the "devil" entry.Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008) A great many succubi were stranded in the Abyss at various points of the Blood War – these were corrupted and became ferroliths and incubi.Mearls, Mike, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend. Demonomicon (Wizards of the Coast, 2010) ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition (2014–present) The succubus appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2014). In this edition, they are neither demons nor devils, instead being Neutral Evil fiends that are found on all the Lower Planes. Ecology The objective of succubi is to tempt men to have sex with them. They do this for their own purposes, and it typically yields a dead mortal or a pleased demon lord (in some cases, when succubi are used as assassins, both ends result). Environment Succubi are native to the Abyss. Typical physical characteristics A succubus in its natural state is in the shape and form of a beautiful human woman with demonic features, such as bat-like wings, tiny horns, and/ or a tail. However, the succubus may shape-shift into many forms. They often appear in the guise of a human woman without demonic features. In the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, it was established that a succubus shapechanged into male form was known as an incubus. However, in the third edition of D&D, the succubus is the female form of the incubus (i.e. the succubus and the incubus are the female and male manifestations of the same type of demon). The creation of incubi as a separate demon type was featured during the Fourth Edition events of the Blood War. Alignment In first and second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and third edition Dungeons & Dragons, succubi are chaotic evil. However, in fifth edition, they are instead neutral evil. Society Succubi are tanar'ri demons, and they are quite numerous. Many are under the command of the Abyssal Lord Graz'zt, but most are ruled by their "Queen," Malcanthet. In Dungeons & Dragons the female child of a succubus and a human is traditionally called an "alu-demon" and the male child a "cambion" (though the latter term can be applied to any demon-mortal offspring). However, the offspring of an alu-demon or cambion, as a result of a union with a human, has no specific name but falls into the larger category of tiefling. Succubi are featured prominently in the Planescape games. Permutations Though in previous D&D editions succubi were Chaotic Evil demons, under 4th edition D&D rules the succubus is a devil, and its alignment is evil. Succubi serve more powerful fiends as spies or assassins. In [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition|5th edition D&D]] succubi are Neutral Evil. Other publishers In Pathfinder the analogous Neutral Evil "succubus" is the erodaemon. Reception Rob Bricken of io9 identified the succubus as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters".http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-12-most-obnoxious-dungeons-dragons-monsters-1628502769 Demons like the succubus were considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" of the game by Fabian Perlini-Pfister. Other media Video games Fall-From-Grace is a succubus, a notable character from the Planescape: Torment role-playing video game. ''D&D'' miniatures The succubus appears in the D&D Miniatures: Blood War set #59 (2006). References Category:Dungeons & Dragons fiends Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1976 Category:Fictional succubi